Helleborus plant named ‘HGC Lady Freckle’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘HGC Lady Freckle’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; attractive single white-colored flowers with red purple-colored spots; and relatively early flowering.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Helleborus orientalisHybrid cultivar HGC Lady Freckle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHelleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus orientalis Hybrid, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name HGC Lady Freckle.

The new Helleborus is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram was to create new Helleborus cultivars with a good plant habit,that flower for a long period of time, and have attractive flowercoloration.

The new Helleborus originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in January, 1999 in Glandorf, Germany of an unnamed seedling ofHelleborus orientalis Hybrid, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unnamed seedling of Helleborus orientalis Hybrid, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Helleborus wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment inGlandorf, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions at Glandorf,Germany since March, 2001, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Helleborus are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar HGC Lady Freckle have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light level without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘HGC Lady Freckle’. Thesecharacteristics in combination distinguish ‘HGC Lady Freckle’ as a newand distinct cultivar of Helleborus:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   3. Attractive single white-colored flowers with red        purple-colored spots.    -   4. Relatively early flowering.

Plants of the new Helleborus differed from plants of the parentselections primarily in plant habit.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to the Helleborus nigercultivar HGC Jericho, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. application Ser. No.10/878,420. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Glandorf, Germany,plants of the new Helleborus differed from plants of the cultivar HGCJericho in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus were taller and broader than        plants of the cultivar HGC Jericho.    -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus had longer leaf petioles than        plants of the cultivar HGC Jericho.    -   3. Plants of the new Helleborus had smaller flowers than plants        of the cultivar HGC Jericho.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Helleborus and the cultivar HGC        Jericho differed in coloration as flowers of plants of the new        Helleborus had red purple-colored spots.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Helleborus.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘HGC Lady Freckle’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical flower of ‘HGC Lady Freckle’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Glandorf, Germany, in a glass-coveredgreenhouse and under commercial production practices during the winter.Plants were grown in 15-cm containers and were about six months old whenthe photographs and description were taken. During the production of theplants, day temperatures were about 18° C. and night temperatures wereabout 14° C. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus orientalis Hybrid cultivar HGC    Lady Freckle.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed seedling of Helleborus orientalis            Hybrid, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Unnamed seedling of Helleborus orientalis            Hybrid, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By divisions.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About eight weeks at 12° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About six months at            12 to 15° C.        -   Root description.—About 3 to 15 thick fleshy roots; not            branching; white to brown in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Upright and mounded plant habit;            moderately vigorous growth habit. Leaves basal. Single            flower form.        -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 40 cm.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Basal; palmately compound            with five to six leaflets per leaf. Leaflet length: About 6            to 9.5 cm. Leaflet width: About 2.2 to 3.5 cm. Leaflet            shape: Lanceolate; pedate. Leaflet apex: Acuminate. Leaflet            base: Acute. Leaflet margin: Serrate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:            Reticulate. Color: Developing leaflets, upper surface: 137A.            Developing leaflets, lower surface: 137C. Fully expanded            leaflets, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded leaflets,            lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces:            146D. Petiole: Length: About 12 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 146B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single rounded flowers arranged arranged            singly on short peduncles; petals inconspicuous; flowers            outwardly drooping; typically more than one flowering stem            per plant. Freely flowering habit with about 15 flowers            developing per plant over the flowering period.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Relatively early flowering;            intermittent flowering from November to February in            Glandorf, Germany. Flowers persistent.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the            plant.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: 145C to 145D.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm. Depth: About 2.5 cm.        -   Petals.—Size: Minute, obscured by reproductive organs;            forming inconspicuous nectaries.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement per flower: Typically five in a            single whorl. Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 3 cm. Shape:            Broadly ovate. Apex: Broadly acute. Margin: Entire. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color:            Developing and fully expanded sepals, upper surface: 155C            with spots towards the center, 59B. Developing and fully            expanded sepals, lower surface: 155C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Orientation: Bent. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 145A.        -   Pedicels.—None.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 80.            Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther            color: 145C. Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity            per flower. About four. Pistil length: About 1.7 cm. Stigma            shape: Tuberculate. Stigma color: 145D. Style length: About            5 mm. Style color: 145C to 145D. Ovary color: 145C.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Helleborus.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from −12 to 36° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant named ‘HGC LadyFreckle’, as illustrated and described.